Gerberas in pots care at home

Gerbera is a plant from South Africa andtropical Asia. Due to the efforts of breeders at the moment there are gerberas of different colors: white, yellow, pink, orange and shades of red. Gerberas of blue color are not grown yet, but breeders are actively working on their breeding.

How to care for a gerbera in a pot

Gerbera room - this unpretentious plant,care for which will not make you much work. But it should be borne in mind that there are also tricks to care for the gerbera. If you follow the simple rules, your gerbera in the pot will delight you with abundant flowering.

Gerbera at home is growing enoughOK. The main thing is the temperature of its content and lighting. Gerberas love bright sunlight or diffuse lighting. But the temperature regime for gerbera is harder to pick up. In summer, the optimum temperature of gerbera in the pot is 16-20 ° C. In winter, the plant is at rest, so it is best to keep it at a temperature of 12-14 ° C. The rest period for the plant is very important, since from late August to early March, the gerbera builds up the leaves, thus preparing for flowering next year.

Gerbera home is very fond of moisture, sowater this plant should be abundant, but not excessive. In winter, slightly reduce the watering. Watering room gerbera, make sure that the water does not fall on the rosettes of flowers. It is best to water the plant through a pallet, so you will avoid possible decay of the roots. Also it is worth considering that the gerbera in the pot is very fond of soft water, the temperature of which should be 20 ° C.

In addition to watering a room gerbera follows the time fromtime to spray. It is best to spray the water so that large enough droplets do not form in the air. In addition, make sure that the droplets are not collected on the leaves of the plant. Plant flowers can not be sprayed.

Caring for the gerbera room, forget abouttop dressing of a plant. Do not use organic fertilizers, as this plant does not tolerate them. In the period of abundant growth of the flower, from April to August, you can feed the plant every three weeks. During flowering, fertilization should be done more often - once every two weeks. For gerberas, only complex mineral fertilizers are used.

Should separately talk about transplanting gerberas. These flowers feel very well in deep pots with a wide top. Since gerbera in pots is not grown here, but imported from Holland, it is desirable to acclimatize the flower. Therefore, immediately after the purchase, do not transplant the gerbera into a new pot. Leave the plant for 1-2 weeks at rest, and only after this period can safely be transplanted into a permanent pot. Remember that during the transplant, the root neck of the flower should rise 1-2 cm above the soil level. At the bottom of the pot, put a small layer of drainage. To transplant a gerbera follows with a clod of the earth in which it grew in shop. If you have a gerbera growing long enough, it can be transplanted in the early spring. The soil for gerbera in the pot should be neutral, and preferably slightly acid. For gerbera, a soil mix of leaf land, peat and sand (2: 1: 1) is ideal.

The gerberas multiply by dividing the bush, by cuttingsor seeds. When transplanting plants, you can divide his bush into several parts, in each of which you should leave 2-3 points of growth. Flowers during the transplantation will have to be removed, the roots slightly pruned and the sections are disinfected. For the reproduction of gerbera cuttings from the mother plant cut pieces of rhizomes with 2-3 leaves. Leaflets are shortened and cuttings are planted in pots. For rooting cuttings it is important to maintain a constant air temperature of 20-25 ° C.

Gerbera does not apply to plants that requirecareful care. But violations in irrigation and air humidification can lead to the development of various diseases, such as gray and white rot. A lack of moisture will result in damage to the plant by a spider mites, whitefly or aphids.